Are Prejudice and Racism Preventable?

Prejudices and racism have not directly impacted me, at least that I know of. My grandmother has prejudices against black people, Latin's, those from other cultures, or people who look/act different than her. She doesn't let it show often, but when she gets mad, or something goes wrong, she will blame it on the "[racist term]." This comes from being raised in an area that was ignorant of other cultures. She was raised in Arkansas which is currently home of the KKK.

I believe racial prejudice stems from ignorance, and lack of appreciation for other cultures/beliefs. I also believe that someone's upbringing can play a fairly big role in the way one views people from different cultures. For instance, if an election for President was coming up and I ask who they would vote for, they likely would name their parents choice because the child loves their parent/parents and trusts them to have made the best choice. I feel this is a similar situation to what most racist and prejudice viewpoints spawn from.

Some things that we could do to help people understand and appreciate other cultures is, put children in the same classrooms, and schools with people different than them. I feel this is one way to help people understand and appreciate other cultures because at an early age, this person is being exposed to someone who looks and may do some things differently than them. Consequently, later on in life these children will not feel differences between people from other cultures because they have been around a variety of people since they were young. Another thing that could be done is educate people in school, about what other cultures do, why they do the things they do, and how they are similar to the way we do things. I feel this would educate people to the point that they would realize that, no matter what nationality, culture, or color of their skin, we are all humans, and should all be treated equally. In my opinion, without racism and such in this world, everyone would be a lot happier, and everything would run a lot more smoothly. I do feel this is an achievable goal, and should be implemented soon into this culture.